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"There are two charges, but both of them seem founded on vague suspicions which I cannot consider sufficient to detain the prisoner." Libergent triumphantly glanced from Spoon to the audience. At that moment, however, the man at his side rose up: Ross de Bleury!
Once thus Chrysler met Libergent driving Grandmoulin in a "buck-board," while another person sat in the back seat. "Chrysler! Chrysler! Listen!" exclaimed the person in the back seat. Chrysler recognized an Ottawa acquaintance. "De Bleury! how do you do!" De Bleury put his hand on the reins to stop the vehicle: "Come up here, Chrysler, we go past the Manoir." "Thank you, I enjoy walking."
They were the Jalberts, daughters of the innkeeper, who himself with two young politicians from Montreal were impressing on a habitant: "If you don't vote for Libergent, you can't go to heaven;" Jalbert being an adherent of the Blues in the hope of "running" Dormillière, if they succeeded, for his license had been taken away by the new movement.
As he passed through he said no word, but drew his cloak about him and moved forward sphinx-like to the bar of the court, where he sat down and commenced to converse with Libergent. Chrysler mounted the stairs with his entertainer and came upon an entirely different scene.
Election day at Dormillière was as election days in country places always that is, a great peal of driving to and fro, and a great deal of crowding about the doors of the poll, and a dense atmosphere of smoke and had jokes among the few to whom the polling-room was reserved, and now and then a flying visit from Haviland, Libergent, or Grandmoulin, for either of whom the people immediately made way by stumbling back on each other's toes; and intermittent activity at head-quarters; and ominous quiet at the parsonage.
He did not return for an hour and a half, and when he did, his expression had altered to one of decided triumph, though still mysterious and silent Zotique, in fact, the evening before, when he drove to Miséricorde in Josephte's little gig, found what he had suspected to be the truth, that Benoit and Spoon had bought every vote of the hamlet; and paid for them, in the interest of Libergent; but he still believed it possible, Benoit being incapacitated, and Spoon, he felt sure, not likely to turn up to bend this plastic material the other way with the same tool, and casting, therefore, aside all delicate distinctions, he succeeded, by a reasonable hour in the evening, in obtaining once more the adhesion of the hotellier and most of the population, giving for he had no Government funds like his opponents his own personal notes for the amounts, and enjoining on the tavern-keeper to have the whole of the suffrages polled early.
Libergent, accompanied by De Bleury, came over at once, for he had a good deal at stake in seeing that Spoon's trial should lead to no unpleasant revelations or consequences to the party. Closeted not more than half an hour he came out and said publicly to l'Honorable, who took seat as Magistrate upon the Bench under the great lion-and-unicorn painting.
"To seeing these marks " "Which might be anything!" snapped Libergent. "To hearing " "No hearsay, sir!" "To having a conviction " "Upon no grounds whatever! Your Honor, I press my just application for an immediate discharge." "I cannot see that there is yet evidence enough," l'Honorable said courteously.
"Swear the informant," said the Magistrate. The picture at this instant of the frightened face of Spoon who collapsed into a seat by the Bar, of the excitement of the crowd, which had been gradually brought to a climax, the disgust of Libergent, relief of Chrysler, satisfaction of the little Bonhomme and his wife, the cynical roll of Zotique's eyes round the room, and serene, judicial face of the Honorable on the bench above, would have made the reputation of the greatest painter in Paris.
Cletus Libergent the use of the Circuit Court edifice and rooms, which are in your charge, for whatever purpose he may desire, for the space of three weeks from the present date." T. OUAOUARON, Attorney-General. Chrysler smiled to Zotique. Could a Government that openly granted the public buildings to partisans pretend to a sense of right or dignity?
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